Delhi slum get a vibrant makeover with rainbow murals

A Delhi shanty area Raghubir Nagar has been given a colourful makeover with rainbow murals by a street artist collective, attracting art admirers and Instagramers to this poverty-ridden area that nobody would otherwise notice.

Like other slums in the densely populated urban city, Raghubir Nagar is home to thousands who live in joint ramshackle matchbox-like structures with no basic amenities or hygiene infrastructure. These people are mostly migrants and have been living in the area for over 20 years. The community trades old clothes for utensils at the local market. 

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Around 15 to 20 volunteers refashioned nearly hundred structures in vibrant colours in less than a month with huge murals depicting nature, abstracts and daily life as well as portrait painting.

The founder of Delhi Art Street, Yogesh Saini, told a notable news agency, "The aim was to bring some positive change and confidence in the locals, who were usually forgotten by society.”

A local parliamentarian initiated the art with a request to beautify and transform the area which is known for its dirt and foul smell rather than art. A local resident, Santhosh told the same news agency that they are all feeling good about the change.

"We are feeling good about the change it has brought to our locality. We are seeing a lot of people coming to the settlement to take pictures. For the first time, we also feel like equals in the society," he said.

The slum features quirky and colourful graffiti that catches the eye. Sajan Nathu, a 63-year-old resident of one of the dilapidated quarters said, ‘it looks fabulous, now all commuters look at our slum and click pictures’.

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One of the officials told a news agency that the project is part of a larger initiative of improving the quality of life and sanitation condition in slum clusters. The founder of the art organization also said,

"Street art is another form of expression and it is very different from the gallery or canvas art. It is bound to be destroyed over time, due to heat, rain, dirt or pollution. But till the time the art is preserved and people get involved with it, it surely brings some change in the life and attitude of people."

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(With ANI inputs)